Depending on how a vote goes in the House of Commons today, Canadians may be looking at a federal election in late November.
Back-story is a bit messy, involving a charity called WE that was going to get a major contract from the federal government to deliver Covid-relief funding to young Canadians, without competing for the contract. Turned out WE had significant links to the PM’s family and to the Finance Minister, who’s resigned.
Commons committees were investigating the matter in the summer, but were shut down when the Government prorogued the House for a month in mid-August.
Now that the House is back in session, the Conservatives, the main Opposition party, want to have an anti-corruption committee appointed by the Commons to conduct further investigations.
The Bloc quebecois apparently support the committee, but it’s not clear what the NDP thinks. Since Trudeau has a minority, if the NDP votes in favour of the committee, it will be appointed, over the objections of the Government.
The Liberals have stated that if the Commons appoints the committee today, they’ll take it as a vote of non-confidence and will call an election.
Not sure what time the vote is scheduled for, but could be interesting.
I think this was an unforced error on the part of the Conservatives (hey, look a sports metaphor, go me). I don’t think the scandal is an election-winning event. Based on the poll linked below, the view seems to be pretty split on the issue of forming a committee. Overall, though I don’t think there’s a strong appetite for another election outside of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It should be interesting but I suspect it will be a non-event and the NDP will support the Liberals and vote against the committee.
I agree, I’m still not sure exactly what I am supposed to be mad about when it comes to this scandal. If the Conservatives can topple a Liberal government with this then I hope the Liberals turn right around and topple a Conservative government over the exact same thing the very first time they do it, which would be early into any administration.
The Green Party said its three MPs will vote with the Liberals. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wouldn’t clarify whether his party would abstain from voting or join the Liberals in voting against the Conservatives, but said they would do what it takes to avoid an election.
No election is good news as far as I’m concerned.
I am still pissed about the WE fiasco though, mainly because the Liberals took a good idea that would benefit students, and screwed it up so much. The biggest losers here are the students who would have benefitted.
I’ve run into this kind of bullshit from every single political party in the past;
Program is announced to benefit students. Hiring program, etc.
Connected person/agency/charity gets the “contract” to run the program.
Person/agency/charity sucks much of the money out of the program; students get some crumbs
Bonus! Much of the time the person/agency/charity is connected to the party in power somehow.
Bottom line; Students get screwed.
Case in point - decades ago my province announced a “Youth Environment Training Fund”. Money was to go to projects hiring young people working with non profits, community groups etc across the province that would give them a summer job, training and also benefit local communities.
Grant applications were written. Much excitement among local environmental non profits. Plans were made.
Then… 90% of the money went to one single project; Building trails in ONE park which happened to be in the riding of the Environment minister.
Confirmed: no election. No one except the Conservatives and the traitorous BQ wanted it. Vote was 180-146 in support of the minority Liberals. Looks like there were 12 abstentions or missing MPs.
For all of Erin O’Toole’s bluster, an election would have benefited no one at this point and Trudeau well knew this. I suspect we would have ended up with a Liberal majority or more likely the same minority that we have today. In no universe would it have turned into a Conservative government.
No one wants an election. They cost money and take preparation. There is a Covid epidemic, under control - but people misinterpret more mild cases in big cities as a dramatic worsening, and are anxious about the US. Without looking, I would guess some parties would want more available funds before a campaign. The popular grumbling about WE, Morneau and the Parliamentary pause was surprisingly mild. In any case, these are all resolved (to some degree).
So the result was not really in question. Those who find the tactics heavy-handed will be discouraged by the fact they have been successful and are doomed to be repeated. More omnibus bills with three hours of review. More prorogation. And more virtue signalling.
Hell, even Plenty O’Toole knew an election was a bad idea right now, look how hard he started backpedaling from this being a confidence vote. Hilariously pathetic. “We think you’re so corrupt we must have a committee that will spend months or years investigating you, but oh, no, we haven’t “lost confidence” in your ability to govern! Heaven forbid anyone ever suggest that!”
Trudeau calling this bluff was exactly the right thing to do.
I’ve said in other threads that no one actually wants to replace JT as PM in the middle of this mess, and the fact that they punted today just confirms that. They’re all too happy to sit on the sidelines sniping at the government, secure in the knowledge that they don’t have to put up or shut up.